The Prince and the Reploid
by SuperSonic22
Summary: Book Two of my "Classic Tales Retold Saga"! Loosely based on "The Prince and the Pauper"retelling by Disney featuring Mega Man and company as the roles! *CHAPTERS ARE BEING UPDATED FOR MORE ENJOYMENT PURPOSES. #1-3 HAVE BEEN COMPLETED THUS FAR AND #4 IS CURRENTLY IN THE WORKS OF RE-WRITING*
1. In the year 2000XX

_**((Good afternoon, fellow true believers! Once again, after many boxes of pizza and cans of root beer, I give you all another great re-telling of an epic tale! This time, "The Prince and the Pauper" mixes with Capcom's blue bomber, Megaman, and his friends. The version of the story in general is the re-telling by Disney (the one with Micket Mouse as both leads) but do not be fooled, for this is only loosely based and shall be a tad more mature rated then the average Disney movie. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this tale of adventure!))**_

A spiky, blonde haired young man sits in a large red comfy chair. Opening a green, leather bound book from his lap, he clears his throat and opens his mouth to speak:

"In the year 2000XX…

For many years, Abel City was ruled by Dr. Thomas Light, a wise and just king as well the genius scientist who created Reploids, robots who could think and feel as humans do. From his work and good will, the people and Reploids of the city flourished and were very happy.

But by and by, the good King became ill and a darkness fell over the country side. As Light's condition worsened, the captain of the royal guard, a Reploid by the name of Sigma, saw his chance to gain control over Reploids' minds as well as terrorize and rob those who didn't follow his vision. Under his command, the "Mavericks" ruthlessly spread chaos throughout the city.

And worst of all, in **Lord Light's** name!

It seemed no one could save the kingdom from the ruthless Sigma and his Mavericks. Until one day…"


	2. Chapter 1

The evening was cold and wet, but this was to be expected from a winter's night. The people and Reploids of Abel City* rushed around the streets, trying to get their duties done so they could go back inside as soon as they could. On one particular street, a blue and cyan Reploid was calling out to the others from his place on the street corner.

"Kindling! Fresh kindling for sale!" the boy called out hopefully. As a human in a long black trench coat and top hat walked past, he kept pace with him and smiled.

"Hey there sir, you need kindling? You can't have a fire or cook dinner without some kindling, right?"

But the man simply walked right past him, only pulling his scarf around his neck a bit higher as if to cover his nose from something. The young Reploid stopped in his tracks and stared at the man as he continued on. He hadn't even bothered to look at the little pauper…

"S-sir…?"

Frowning and walking back to his original post, he sat on the fountain behind him, taking off his helmet to reveal spiky brown hair as he ran a hand through it. Lifting his right arm, he looked at his energy readings and bit his lip with worry as the level read dangerously low.

At the sound of a bark, a red and pink robotic dog bounded up to him happily, tail wagging. However, when it saw his master's worry, the dog cocked its head and whimpered.

"I'm alright Rush**, don't worry. How are you holding up, boy?"

Rush snuggled up against the young Reploid, licking his armored hand before nuzzling it as if to reassure him. The dog's kind gesture made the Reploid smile; no matter what kind of mood he was in, his best friend and companion always made him feel better.

"Hey, wanna see how Roll*** is doing? I bet she made a bit to get at least one E-canister!"

Both the Reploid and his dog walked a few feet to where a teenage girl with blonde hair stood. In her left hand was a wrench and in the other was a box with snow cones. Most of her body, as well as her fur-lined, dark purple coat and brown shorts, were dirty and covered with a few blotches of oil and grease. She grinned at the people walking by and waved the wrench above her head.

"Step right up, everyone! Need something fixed, tuned, or created? Not a problem for me! And don't forget: a free snow cone with every purchase or tune up!"

When the last group passed by her however, the girl's smile faded and she slumped onto the box behind her, her hat slidding a bit off to the side as she huffed loudly.

"How's business, Roll?"

Roll Caskett looked up at her brother and groaned. "Well Rock****, other than the occasional tune-up and whatnot, business is literally sucking!"

"Aw come on, can't be **that **bad, right?" Rock smiled, hoping Roll may be just over-exaggerating a bit…but the look on her face told him otherwise.

After a bit of silence, Roll shivered and pulled her coat around her tighter; unlike Rock, she was a human and nights like this one were incredibly uncomfortable. Seeing his sister's motion, Rock kneeled in front of her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey…let's call it a night. We got a bit of money for some food and an E-tank for Rush and I, so there's no need for any of us to freeze out here."

Roll stayed silent but nodded in agreemen, helping Rock and rush carry her equipment back totheir mobile house, stopping only at a few vendor stands for some supplies.

Getting inside, Roll quickly shut the door to the mobile house as Rock made the fire to cook the small amount of food Roll would eat for the night. Rush meanwhile was sitting down next to the table, anxiously awaiting his masters to join him for their dinner.

"Well look at you, all high and mighty," Roll chuckled. "You think you're the prince or something?"

Rush woofed a response before Rock sat next to him, opening the E-tank and pouring half of it into his cup and the rest into his dog's bowl. The canine went to start drinking but Rock stopped him with a glare.

"You know the rules boy, wait until everyone is at the table."

"Oh don't worry about me!" Roll smiled from her place next to the now bubbling pot over the fire, "Go ahead and start eating. I don't want both of you losing energy over me."

From his scent receptors, Rock noted that the food would take a bit longer then Rush's patience would handle and finally sighed, letting Rush have his fill. The dog barked happily and scarfed down the E-tank with joy, his tail wagging back and forth like a pendulum on full speed.

Rock however, made no movement to drink. His gaze had wandered out the window to where a large castle-like structure loomed in the distance.

"You're doing it again Rock."

The blue and cyan Reploid blinked. "Huh?"

Roll gave her brother a soft smile as she turned to him, "You always stare at the castle whenever we have dinner…that's why you sit there."

"Can you blame me? It's such a magnificent looking place…" Rock's eyes twinkled with awe as he stared at the royal castle, its towers and spires looming above the rest of the city on a hilltop as if it were a priceless jewel in a display case.

"Yeah, I gotta agree with that…" Roll sighed. "Imagine all the technology I could get my hands on in there…"

A few minutes of silence went by as both siblings let their minds wander, thinking of joyous and amazing things they would do if they were royalty. Finally, Rock took a sip of his bit of E-Tank.

"So sis...if **you **were a princess, what would your orders be?"

The question made Roll pause for thought as she finally sat down with he food. "You know...I dont really know. I havent had time to really think about fantasies like that..."

Rock grinned mischeviously. "Unless it's about guys right?"

The girl's face turned bright red and she cughed on a piece of chicken she was eating, making the other two laugh merrily.

* * *

A few hours later, Rock laid on his bunk and stared at the ceiling as thoughts rushed in his head. He tossed and turned for what seemed like forever, but the thought of sleep never crossed his mind. Everything went back to the image of the castle he always saw through his window...

Finally giving up on sleep, the Reploid sat up and looked over at Roll to make sure if she was asleep or not. Sure enough, the blonde teenager was lighly snoring and lost in a deep sleep and mumbled gibberish probably related to the dream she was having.

And that was when Rock finally looked at the clock behind his sister and frowned.

"Three in the morning...great I really was up all night..."

Putting his helmet on, he went to go out the door but found Rush sitting in front of it but after a silent exchange of glances, Rock patted the dog on the head as he went out the door and waited for the pink and red canine to follow.

As quiet as he could, Rock ordered his pet to transform and Rush was soon in his "jet form". The young Reploid hopped on and guided the two of them for a fly through the city until they reached the park, where he jumped off and waited for Rush to turn back to normal.

The park Rock was in currently held a special significance to him and his sister, and as he walked the usual path they used to take, he felt a twinge of sadness enter him as many memories flooded him.

His thoughts were cut off however as the sound of laughter and merriment began to echo through the park and upon following the sound to its source, Rock saw a hover carriage full of food and other trinkets being driven by a large group of Mavericks.

The sight of the group made Rock's anger boil, so much in fact that his right arm transformed into a blaster that hummed a dark golden color from within the muzzle. The Mavericks were spineless thugs that had no morals or honor; they beat up the poor and innocent civilians of Abel City for fun and took everything they could get their greedy hands on. Everyone lived in fear of them, especially since they were considered gaurds of the royal palace.

But Rock knew he could do nothing; even if the thought enraged him, he was one Reploid against the royal guards. No one would be on his side...Remembering what his grandfather had told him, Rock calmed himself down and retracted the gun back into his hand.

"Come on Rush…let's go home…"

But Rock realized all too late that his dog was no longer by his side; Rush had started chasing the carriage and snapped its jas at a hanging sausage link as it dangled in front of him like fishing bait. The Reploid ran after his dog, screaming and yelling at him to come back, but the canine didn't seem to hear him.

And soon the castle gates closed only a few seconds before Rock caught up, seperating the two companions for good.

_**((Author's Notes:**_

_***Abel City (Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X): **_Considered to be the city in which the first Mega Man X game takes place. The name first appeared in the OVA "Day of Sigma", which acts as a prolouge to the series and explains Sigma's reasons for rebelling against humanity. It is interesting to note that "Abel" is a reference to a character from one of the stories in the Bible and it is destroyed by Reploids created by Dr. Cain (another reference from the same story).

_******_**Rush (Classic Mega Man Series)**_**: **_Mega Man's faithful robotic dog, created by Dr. Light to assist Mega Man in his travels. Initially, Rush was able to transform into a coil, a hoverboard, and a submarine but as time went on, he developed the ability to turn into many other type of vehicles. If Mega Man has found the abiliy, he can fuse with Rush to create a "Super Adaptor": a flying version of Mega Man that can shoot his hands like rockets.

_*******_**Roll Caskett**_** (Megaman Legends/64): **_The 14 year old granddaughter of the famous Barrell Caskett (who raised her after her parents diappeared), Roll grew up with a determination to find the secret "Mother Lode" before anyone else, being motivated by her hopes that her parents are still alive and she will find them there. When her grandfather found Megaman Volnutt, he raised him alongside her and they became as close as siblings. While Megaman is on Digger assignments, Roll supports him as a Spotter: giving him advice and other information via radio based on what she can see with her equipment. Other then being a spotter, she is an enthusiastic genius mechanic and can create, repair, modify, and pilot almost any type of machine. Also, Roll can build new parts, special weapons, and Buster Parts to upgrade Megaman Volnutt's equipment using things he finds on his adventures.

_********_**Rock Volnutt**_** (Mega Man Legends/64): **_The main hero of the series, Mega Man Volnutt was found by Roll's gradfather and has lived with them since then. Taking on duties as a Digger, Volnutt explores ruins and other areas in search of Reactors and other treasures the family can use to get money. Little is known about his past...however his companion, Data (a little robotic monkey), says it knows all about his past and that he will tell Mega Man when the time is right.

**::: As a side note to this, I made Mega Man Volnutt as the main Mega Man because he is my favorite version of the blue bomber. However, to make it work with the story, I changed his name to "Rock" in homage to the classic Mega Man. :::**


	3. Chapter 2

Rock stood in front of the large gates that lead to the castle, unable to believe what had just happened. Rush was gone...and ho knew what would happen to the poor hound when they found him. Would they let him free right then and there or would they...?

He shook his head and ran up to the door, banging his fists as loud as he could. He had to get his dog back, and not even the King himself was going to stop him.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Please open up, I gotta get in!"

Suddenly, a little window in the gate opened near Rock and the face of a very large guard peered out, its eye narrowed. "Who goes there and what do you want?"

The loud, gruff voice made Rock gulp nervously, but he mustered up his couage and determination as he looked back at the obviously annoyed Reploid. "Um…sorry to bother you, but I just want to get my dog back. He ran in before I could-"

Before Rock could finish his plea, the guard suddenly let out a terrified gasp and stood to attention, "**Y-Y-Your majesty**! I-Im so sorry sir, I didn't recognize you, hang on just a moment!" Stuttering, the Reploid quickly opened the gates and bowed as low as he could to Rock, its knees shaking. The guard in question was a very large black, red, and yellow Construction Bot with a very masculine and broad chin.

"I, uh, d-do come in sire! Forgive my rude nature earlier, sir, I m-meant no disrespect! Lovely night isn't it?"

"Um...," Rock stood where he was for a second, completely puzzled at the guard's quick change in demeanor. ?Why had the he called him "sire" and "your majesty?" But none of that mattered at the moment; he needed to find Rush and get out before anyone noticed them. Quickly, he walked past the guard and turned back to look at him before he completely left him behind.

"What is your name, sir?"

The guard straightened even more and looked directly ahead, as if it was some sort of protocol, "Gutsman, sir!"

"Gutsman...Right then, after my buisness is done here, I'll put a good word for you. Who knows? Maybe you will get a promotion from being such a nice guy?"

As the pauper turned around a corner, Gutsman heaved a huge sigh of relief and finished closing the door, wiping his brow at the luck of not being thrown into the dungeon…or worse… Relaxing into his normal standing position, the Bonstruction Bot suddenly realized that a shadow loomed around him. Turning, he felt himself gulp as he slowly looked upwards to meet with the sinister face of none other than Captain Sigma**.

"What do you think this is..." Sigma's deep, intimidating and almost evil voice growled as he lowered himself so he and Gutsman were eye to eye, his pale blue, pupiless eyes narrowed menacingly, "...an open house?"

"B-But Captain Sigma, he was...that was the Prince!" Gutsman pleaded innocently.

Without a word, Sigma grabbed Gutsman by the head and hoisted him off the ground, turning him to face a window in the castle's upper levels.

"Then may you explain to me who ******that**** i**s?"

* * *

In the classroom of the castle, Prince X sat in the middle of a lecture from his teacher, Dr. Cain***. As the old man droned on about some form of mathematics, the prince stared out the window with longing; he wanted to be outside with the rest of the subjects he knew were on the other side of the walls he was confined in.

"Sire," Dr. Cain's voice broke X's daydreams and he sighed as the royal Reploid turned back to him from the window, "...is it too much trouble to ask for your full attention?"

"Sorry Dr. Cain, I thought I heard a commotion outside."

Cain opened his mouth to continue the lesson when the door opened with a loud bang and two individuals strolled in; one was Prince X's own bodyguard, Axl****, while the other was a servant he and Axl usually spent time with when they had time. Upon seeing the professor's glaring brow, the two stopped laughing immediately and sat down in the farthest corner of the room to not disturb the lessons, which made Cain roll his eyes before he continued.

"Old coot's boring you to death again?" Axl asked as he silently glided over using his hover wings and sat down next to the prince.

"You have no idea…" X groaned, his head rested against one of his hands.

"Well no worries," the bodyguard patted his shoulder with reassurance, "soon it'll be breakfast and then we can have some fun!"

"Axl, do you and your friend mind leaving the prince to his duties?" Dr. Cain asked without looking at the two of them.

"Oh… sorry Dr. Cain; it won't happen again." Axl shrugged and walked back to where he and the servant were, resuming their earlier discussion through whispers and hushed voices.

X meanwhile began to stare out the window again, smiling a bit at a group of young Reploids and humans as they had a snowball fight and made snowmen happily near the gates to the castle.

"Now sire, name the three secondary trigonometric ratios," Dr. Cain's voice snapped the prince back to reality and he racked his memory banks for the right answer.

"Um…let's see…"

"Betcha X can only guess one of em," the servant whispered to Axl as he yawned slightly.

"Aw come on Mattao*****," Axl laughed in a whisper. "You and I both know that the prince actually does study even when it looks like he isn't!"

Mattao shrugged and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and laying them on his stomach. "Fine…two then. However this time, the loser buys the winner a drink from the tavern later!"

Prince X frowned as the conversation was making him lose focus. "Well, there's a cotangent…"

"There's one…" Axl counted on a finger.

"Um…secant…"

"Axl, explain to me why ol' Cain has our royal highness have lessons at five in the morning? I mean he just woke up, shouldn't he clean up or something first?" Mattao asked as he fixed his golden hair until it was ridiculously spiked like it usually was.

"And then...cosecant?" X asked with worry.

Dr. Cain sighed heavily and turned back to X a deep frown on his face, "We have gone over this time and time again, sire. It's hypotenuse. Hy-po-ten-use!"

"Whoops, sounds like it's time for me to find somethig to do!" Mattao slowly got out of his chair, only stopping to grin in triumph at Axl. "Oh by the way Geeves, you who me a drink." Patting him on the back, he started whisltling a tune and pulled out a feather duster from literally nowhere, cleaning a globe that was sitting in the opposite corner from where he was originally at.

'...how the hell does he do that?' Axl was about to ask the prince that exact question, but he noticed that he was staring at the desk while biting his lip, looking like a child who was being yelled at by his parents.

"We are not leaving this room until you can get all of these fifty questions right, so stop looking out the window and pay attention!" Cain wagged a finger at the prince, a hand on his hip as he continued to scold him.

By this time, Axl had scooted back near X and had sat down behind him; he knew that he needed to figure out a plan to help his friend get out of these ridiculous lessons; Dr. Cain pushed the young prine too hard and that alone stressed him enough without adding the worry of his father's health he had every day...

Struck with an idea, the bodyguard pulled out a peashooter he always carried and smiled, a plan slowly formulating in his head.

"Now sire, please repeat to me what we discussed about triangles," Dr. Cain huffed and waited for X to answer, not even noticing as Axl looked about the room. Seeing Mattao occupied with cleaning something else nearby with his back turned, the bodygaurd smirked and loaded the peashooter quickly. Blowing as hard as he could, he took a shot and made Mattao recoiled slightly and rub the back of his neck.

Frowning over how little of an effect it had on the blonde, he reloaded another pea and tried again, this time hitting the back of servant's head. This time, it seemed to actually make Mattao notice and he turned with a frown, looking around the room for any sign of what hit him. Seeing nothing, he shook his head and turned back to his duty, blaming it on a possible bee or mosquito.

Fianlly, the time had come to put his whole plan into action; with an almost evil grin, Axl went into his ammo compartment and took out a Paralysis Dart, loading it into one of the two pistols he always carried. Setting the silencer on the muzzle, he made sure Dr. Cain or Prince X wasn't looking before he aimed and fired at Mattao, hitting him in the rear and making him yelp loudly.

Apparently, no one seemed to notice as the servant spun in a few circles, trying to swat at what he thought was a large bug. But on closer examination of wherw the pain originated, he saw the dart and pulled it off, recognizing the dart instantly.

"That son of a...," Mattao gritted his teeth and turned angrily to Axl, who was sitting next to X as if nothing happened.

_' Ho ho! I see what you're up to…trying to get one up on me, eh?' The blonde fumed as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a slingshot, putting a small rock into the sling and taking aim. 'Well _******two**_can play at this game rust bucket!'_

He fired his first shot and it zoomed past its target, landing in a pot somewhere with a padded thud. However, Axl seemed to notice the poor shot and turned around, taunting his assailant by sticking his tongue out and flipping him off obscenely.

In a rage, Mattao quickly loaded the slingshot and fired one last time, his range and target perfect! However, the bodyguard was too quick for him and he ducked at the last second, barely missing the pebble as it continued to fly through the air…and hit Dr. Cain on his forehead as he turned to ask another question.

For a second, the room was silent, the only noises coming from the hallway outside. Soon though, Cain angrily glared at Mattao and started to walk towards the servant.

"Mattao, I'll have you know that I do not find your behavior amusing at all!"

"B-but -" Mattao began, trying to defend himself as he stood frozen to the spot.

"I promised to put up with you since you are under this royal family's care...but I do not tolerate any of your mischief in my classroom! **If** the prince is to assume the royal duties then he must-"

"But Axl started it!" The servant's mood changed immediately once he heard Cain's tone and he glared back, pointingto the black and red armored Reploid angrily. "Why do you always blame me for-"

"I don't want to hear it, especially if you are going to talk to me with that attitude, young man! Now get out of this clasroom before I call in Colonel to get you himself; I'm sure he'd be willing to put up with you more then any of us!"

Mattao was about to say something but he bit his tongue, already knowing that he was in enough trouble as it was. Knowing somehow that he had won this round, Dr. Cain pointed to the door and watched with a sort of smug triumph as Mattao walked out of the room, his face red from anger and his fists clenched in his pockets. Axl and the Prince watched him go with concern until they realized the professor had turned his gaze to the them.

"And **you**, Axl; you know the king is very ill and requires peace and quiet! If you're not going to be silent during the lessons, then you must also l**eave**!"

"Right," Axl sighed heavily and stood up out of his chair. "Well I guess that's my cue to go…see you later, your highness."

For a bit, X heard Dr. Cain mumble for a bit as he tried to look through a book for something before he finally gave up, huffing with annoyance as he checked his pocket watch.

"Well, it seems due to Axle and that servant's behavior, they wasted precious time for your lesson. Normally I'd have you stay a bit longer to make it up, but breakfast is soon to start and I think your father would not approve of me keeping you any later."

X nodded and thanked Dr. Cain for the lesson before walking out, slowly making his way to the dining hall. His thoughts drifted back to the servant and he promised himself that they would talk later, at least to make sure he could help him calm down.

Passing an open window, he heard the sound of a commotion outside, followed by the barking and snarling of a dog. Curious as to what may be going on, the prince poked his head out and looked downwards near the grounds, his eyes widening in surprise as he beheld what was going on.

The barking was coming from a red and pink robotic canine as it jumped and leaped around the legs of Captain Sigma, who was yelling at it to try and make it go away while holding a young blue and cyan male Reploid with spiky brown hair by the back of his armor.

"Beat it you damn mutt!" Sigma snarled as he raised his free hand to his side, winding up to backhand the dog away.

"Leave Rush alone!" the boy twisted and turned in the giant's grip, managing to throw a kick at Sigma's chest. The giant Reploid didn't even flinch as he glared eye to eye with the Reploid and raised him higher, his snarl turning even more malicious.

"Captain Sigma! What is going on down there?"

All traces of anger seemed to fade from Sigma's face as he heard the prince's voice and he snapped to attention, ignoring the dog as it bit into his foot.

"Just some local riff-raff your highness, I'm taking care of the problem as we..."

X's eyes narrowed, "As Captain of the Royal Guard, it is your duty to make sure that even the lowliest subjects deserve respect no matter what the situation. If you cannot remember that one simple rule, then I may have to put an inquiry to Colonel about finding a new one! Now unhand the boy immediately!"

Sigma's eye twitched but he did as he was told, dropping the young Reploid into the snow.

"Good. Apologize for the trouble you put him through and bring him inside, I want to see him at once!" X commanded before leaving the window in a huff. Making his way towards the lower halls of the castle, he was greeted by Axl who was leaning against a wall, waving slightly as he approached.

"Hey X, glad to see Dr. Cain let you off the hook...i wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't mean for you or Mattao to get in so much trouble."

"It's fine Axl, don't worry about it. I want you to find Mattao and make sure he's alright...I got something important I have to check up on before breakfast."

Axl nodded and got off the wall, following X down the hall before their paths split. "Is it something bad?"

X shook his head, "No, it should oly take a few minutes. Everything will be fine, I promise. I'll meet you at the Banquet Hall ok?"

As the prince walked down his corridor, Axl frowned slightly as he watched him go. He sensed something big was about to go down and quickly wished him luck before he walked off to do what X asked.

**((Author's Notes:**

***Gutsman (_Classic Mega Man_): First appearing in the first Mega Man game, Gutsman was literally the first boss needed to beat the game. His stage consisted of a construction site and the move you gained from him was the "Super Arm", an ability that allowed Mega Man to lift and throw large blocks of rock.**

**Sigma (_Mega Man X_): The main antagonist of the Mega Man X series, Sigma was considered the finest of the Reploids and was the first leader of the Maverick Hunters. Although he was once honorable, Sigma unexpectedly goes Maverick and rebels against humankind, assuming the role as their leader. Under Sigma's command, the Mavericks grow into a legion dedicated to the extermination of the human race. Although he has been destroyed countless times, Sigma's programming always survives and builds himself a new form, ready to menace the world once again. It is implied that he grows more insidious and vengeful with each transformation, with each successive plan becoming more and more desperate and aggressive.**

*****Dr. Cain (_Mega Man X_): the professor that discovered Megaman X when he was still un-operational and created Reploids based on his design. He also created Sigma**

******Axl (Mega Man X): A Reploid that first appeared in the seventh installment of the Mega Man X franchise. He also has a "copy" ability like Mega Man, however his lets him copy the exact boss or the enemy he stole the data from (this concept was later used in Megaman ZX Advent)**

*******Mattao (Original Character): Once again, the Original Character based around myself has invaded my own story! This time around, I decided that Mattao should have a bigger role and some back story so that I can deepen the plot of this Retold Tale a bit. Remember though, every story he is in is a bit different so next time he may be in a whole mess of shenanigans! ))**


	4. Chapter 3

The young Reploid raised himself off the ground, snow covering his body and in his hair. Who was that in the window? Was he in more trouble than he realized? All he wanted to do was get his dog back…

As soon as he got up into a kneeling position, Rock felt a heavy hand on his back and was raised onto his feet by Sigma. The Captain was smiling at him, but he knew all too well that the smile was obviously a fake one.

"Excuse me for my rude behavior..." Sigma's voice sounded cheerful but had a hint of icy malice in it, "...but the Prince wishes to see you now…"

The **Prince...********he **was the Prince?!

The Captain's hand gripped tighter, his eyes narrowed to slits and his smile turning cruel. "Let me "escort" you to the door at least; the castle is a big place and I don't want you losing your way... "

Before the blue and cyan Reploid could reply, Sigma raised him off the ground and threw him like a professional Shot-Put thrower to one of the doors leading to the castle. The impact of the fall made Rock cough even though he landed in snow again, knowing that the wind would have been knocked out of his lungs for a second if he was a human.

"Sting Chameleon*! Flame Mammoth**! Take the commoner to the Main Hall, the prince wishes to speak with him **privately**."

From out of the doorway, two guards seemed to appear from the darkened hallway. The first was a Chameleon-like Reploid with a very long tongue, a miniature sphere object seeming to be hanging by the end of it. The other was a very large and robust mammoth, its trunk resembling that of a flame thrower hose. And before Rock could say or do anything, both had picked him up by the arms, dragging him inside.

"You must have done something pretty stupid to have the royal family involved, kid." Sting Chameleon grinned evilly, his tongue swaying like a serpent.

Flame Mammoth huffed a laugh, "Just think Chameleon, we may have ourselves a new member to add to our dungeon!"

Rock gulped and shook his head, "N-No you guys got it all wrong! I'm just trying to-"

The mammoth groaned in disapproval, "Ugh it's always the same with you peasants...'I wasn't doing anything wrong!' or 'You don't understand!'...gives me a headache..."

"Everything gives you a headache..." Chameleon rolled his eyes and opened the door to the Main Hall as they approached. As soon as the door opened, Rock was thrown inside quickly and the door slammed shut behind him, the noise echoing throughout the Hall around him.

Rock went to open the door and tried to get it open, but the door was locked from the other side and he could hear the two guards walking away, laughing the whole time about how he may be their newest prisoner. Trying the door again, the Reploid finally gave up and turned around to think of something when he suddenly stopped, his eyes widening.

All around him were colorful banners, elegant architecture, and many different suits of armor all lined up like something you would see in a museum of some sorts. The floors were of a clear marble, so polished and clean that you could see yourself in it and the ceiling was hung with chandelier after chandelier for light.

This was nothing like what was outside, like the world he had grown up in. This….this was like heaven!

He blinked as he passed a suit of armor and gazed at it for a while, awestruck. The main body was white with parts of it painted in a dark blue and the gun a dark orange-red on the tip. In a plaque on the top, it read "Ceremonial Light Armor***".

"Wow…"

His hand went out to simply touch it and it stopped a few inches from the helmet. Confused, Rock tried to touch other areas of it before realizing that the suit was behind a thick sheet of almost invisible glass. Shrugging, he turned around to look at something else but realized all too late that he had bumped into a vase on a pedestal. With a certain panic, he gasped and caught the vase just before it hit the ground.

The pedestal on the other hand….

Rock winced as he heard the pedestal fall into something and quickly looked to see what had happened, only to have one of the suits of armor that was unrestricted by glass fall on top of him, his upper torso getting stuck in the upper-body plates.

Struggling to get free, he swayed to and fro with as much grace as a drunken man and felt a pain in his foot as he accidentally kicked the helmet piece. With a crash, Rock fell to the ground as he tripped over an arm part, hearing the helmet soaring through the air with a low humming whistle.

At the same moment Rock had started tripping over the armor parts, Prince X had almost made his way to the Great Hall and, hearing the commotion, ran to the door leading inside and threw it open.

"What in the name of Neo Arcadia**** is-?"

X, a little too late, saw a black helmet fly towards him and hit him in the face. With a grunt, the prince held his now bruised forehead and leaned against the door for support, only to trip on the same helmet and fall to the ground, his own blue and cyan helmet bouncing away. With a groan, he raised himself onto one knee and tried to regain his senses.

"Axl…I know you wanted to make me feel better, but this has gone-"

He looked up and for a split second, the prince thought his eyes were playing tricks on him; someone who looked just like him was getting off the floor in the same way, and he was looking right back at him. Blinking with surprise, X studied what was in front of him and assumed that he was perhaps in front of a mirror.

Looking around, he begun to have a suspicious feeling inside of him as he failed to see any sort of giveaway that a mirror was in front of him. And so he put a hand under his chin in a thinking pose (and the other did the same), deepening the study scan of whatever it was in front of him again.

The "reflection", he noticed, was a tad smaller, then his normal height and its hair a bit more spiked then his usual wave-like structure. And the color and condition of the armor seemed a bit...outdated…

Standing up, X tilted his head and frowned when it did the same. Was this really him? Was the worry of recent events getting to him **that **much?

Both Mega Men leaned closer until they were eye to eye.

"How weird…" they said before butting heads and falling to the ground with a yelp, the two holding their heads in pain.

"What a realistic mirror…" Prince X shook his head with confusion, slowly standing up.

"I'll say..." Rock stated as he got up off the ground as well, dusting himself off.

And that's when the reality of the situation sunk into both of the two Reploids.

X looked to Rock and he did the same, both of their eyes wide and after a bit of silence had raised their Buster Cannon to each other, taking a few steps back to gain room just in case of a fight.

"Who are you?!"

"I should be asking you that!"

Prince X growled slightly as he narrowed his eyes, "I will only say this once: I don't know who or what you are, but I do not wish to fight. In the name of Prince X, I command you to reveal your true nature, whatever it may be!"

Rock felt his jaw almost hit the floor...the prince himself was the one staring down the muzzle of a Buster Cannon at him!

"W...what?"

"You have ten seconds to comply...after that I'm considering you a threat!"

"Woah, wait a second! You got it all wrong sir, I mean your highness! Wait just a second!" Rock quickly lowered his blaster and got on one knee, bowing low to the Prince. "M-My name is Rock Volnutt, a mere Reploid commoner from the streets of Abel City. I-I didn't want to impose on you or your family, but you see..."

Prince X blinked in surprise and lowered his Buster a bit, the peasants words being relayed through his brain. "You….you are the peasant from earlier…"

"Y-yeah, that's me..." Rock bit his lip and now went on both knees, bowing as low as he could to X, "I-Im so sorry I raised my weapon at you, your highness! Please don't throw me in the dungeon or anything!"

"Dungeon...what?" The prince shook his head as he looked down at the commoner, puzzlement written on his face. "N-no do not worry about being punished for what happened; we both didn't know what to expect of the encounter and took the most logical course of action."

Saying this, X lowered his arm all the way and let his buster reform into a hand to show he meant him no harm, "I think we, as the humans say, started on the wrong foot. Let us set some facts straight before anything happens."

Rock sighed with relief, his gaze still at the ground as he was taught to do around royalty.

"First off, please try and relax. There is no reason for you to avert your eyes or keep bowing to me; as long as you and I are talking this moment, we are equals. Understand?"

The young Reploid was flabbergasted by what the prince had said, but he slowly stood up from the ground. He was indeed still nervous, but at least the prince had acknowledged that he didn't need to be formal. But the part about "being equals" still puzzled him...a prince of royal "blood" and a common reploid were equals?

"Second, may I request that you help in cleaning this mess up before someone notices?" X nodded off to the pieces of armor that lay scattered around, making Rock blush from embarrassment.

"Sure I'll help...i mean it was my mess to begin with so I am responsible, right?"

As the two picked up piece by piece of the armor, silence overtook the two of them. One seemed to still not fully comprehend the other and yet each had so many questions to ask! How could it have been possible that one Reploid looked exactly like another?

Eventually a few more pieces were picked up, Rock decided to break the silence and cleared his throat, smiling a bit sheepishly. "S-sorry about this…I guess I'm a bit clumsy sometimes."

"No need to apologize...actually, it is I who should be thanking you."

The prince's words made Rock hesitate, "…I beg your pardon?"

"You have no idea what it's like to sit in those lessons all day long; I mean, I understand and value their importance," X sighed, "But I don't think I'll need to know about the Roman alphabet any time soon and I'm certain that it doesn't help my people at all..."

'Roman alphabet? What in the world is that?' Rock frowned as he tried to figure out what X was talking about, picking up a blue and cyan helmet and realizing it belonged to the prince.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to be royalty?" X seemed to have continued some sort of rant and was now placing a chest plate back in its rightful place. "You wake up, eat breakfast…"

Rock looked at his energy readings and sighed happily from thoughts of refueling. "Mmm...food…"

"…And have either lessons or Combat Training till dinner and then you are forced to go to sleep even if you-"

Prince X suddenly realized that he was rambling and he stopped mid-sentence with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh dear…I'm sorry for rambling about all of that."

The young Reploid handed the prince his own helmet with a small smile, "I take it you don't get out much, my lord?"

X's smile turned into a frown as he placed his helmet under his arm. "…In all honesty Rock, I have never left the castle walls. Not once I my life was I able to go out and see the world for what it was..."

The subject seemed to make X's eyes turn a bit sad and he looked down at his feet, "I envy you, Rock. I mean, you get to explore and enjoy real life for what its worth with all the freedom in the world! You probably have friends and also have that special…"

Rock's eyes widened at the prince's words; he had never thought about his life that way…Was the life of royalty really that deprived of such joys? And that last part he left out...? He was about to ask when he noticed that X had moved from where he was standing to the window, looking outside with a sort of longing, with his free hand on the cold glass.

"If only I could take your place for just one day…"

And it was at that moment when the prince was struck with an ingenious idea. After pondering it for a second, X quickly turned from the window and started pushing Rock into one of the other rooms with a sort of urgency.

"What are you doing?" Rock asked as he was stopped in front of the mirror, only to have the prince's helmet latch on top of his head.

"Yeah…this could work…"

"Um...your highness?"

"Don't you see? Without my helmet on, I look like you. And when I place my helmet on your head, you look like me!"

Rock stopped and stared into the mirror and did a double take; he******did**look like the prince! True, he was a tad smaller but no one would really notice. And with an oil bath and some polish…

"And since we look so alike, I could take your place in the streets of Abel City while you take my place here!"

The insanity of what Prince X had said struck Rock like a missile. "W-what?! Switch places? B-but-"

X frowned, "It would only be for a single day I promise; I just want to know what is out there in the world. I want to experience how my subjects feel and live so that when I am King, I can rule better."

"But…" the younger Reploid looked back at himself in the mirror. He had always wanted to feel like a prince and this could be his only chance. His thoughts were cut off however as he felt the prince place a hand on his shoulder, his face pleading without ever having to form words.

_At that moment, Rock felt something within his soul sort of "click"; something about Prince X's request sent a feeling like he and the other Mega Man had formed some form of...bond. Both had grown in an environment that they wanted to temporarily escape from. Both shared dreams of some form of a better life. Both had found a chance to pursue the dream and finally live it._

_The Prince and he, Rock realized, were more alike then he first thought. And it was this new epiphany that made him finally nod with a slight smile on his face._

"Well if I'm going to be you, what do I need to do? Any advice?"

X took a second of pause before he finally realized that the pauper had agreed to his request, his face widening into a grin of excited joy...but it didn't last long. The prince blushed from embarrassment and cleared his throat before he continued.

"Well to be royalty, you only really need to remember a few vital pieces of information: keep your head held high, stand up straight, use your manners and remember a few phrases."

"Phrases?" Rock tilted his head.

"Nothing to fancy, just a few simple things to remember in case you get into a situation. 'That's a splendid idea, I'm glad I thought of it!' can be used a lot actually..."

"And the other one?"

"Simply put: 'Guards, seize him!'...But I really hope you don't have to use that one..."

Rock stored the phrases into his databank and nodded when he understood their meanings and usage. "Your highness, I just thought of something. What about your father?"

The prince stopped and bit his lip, clearly worried. "I-I will be back before you know it, Rock. And if there is any trouble, all will know me by this."

X went to his waist where he held a small carrying compartment and pulled out a stunning ring with a dark violet crystal in the center, an insignia of the royal family inscribed on the inside if one were to look close enough.

"Wow, a Quantum Refractor*****…"

Rock could only stare in disbelief at the ring in the prince's hand, knowing that if Roll was with him, she would have flipped out at the sight of a **real** Quantum Refractor. Their grandfather had told them stories about his adventures as a Digger****** and these precious crystals were always in his stories in some manner, whether he found a whole bunch at once or he found a few after a battle with a deadly Reaverbot*******!

He was about to tell Prince X about something when he realized that his highness had already gotten in position to jump out the window into the snow below, adjusting a bit before turning back to him with a smile.

"Thank you for this opportunity Rock, I promise that I will repay you somehow when I return."

"Y-you don't have to do that, your highness." Rock shuffled his feet a bit, the thought of a member of the royal family repaying him making him chuckle.

The Prince shook his head and was about to jump when he gave a final salute to the pauper, "Don't try too hard ok? You look more like a member of the royal family by the minute!"

And with that, he was gone.

Rock felt a twinge of panic and rushed over to the window to make sure the prince was alright, sighing with relief as the"beggar boy" safely landed in a large pile of snow.

"..._Please don't forget to come back…." _

**__****(( Author's Notes:**

**__*****Sting Chameleon****_ (_****__****Mega Man X):**_A __Reploid who belongs to the 9th Special Battalion (Rangers). Using his tongue for quick attacks, along with his ability to blend into his surroundings, makes him a highly-skilled Hunter. On the other hand, he goes too far in his mantra of "by any means necessary," and is called a coward for his sometimes sly, sneaky tricks. Bested by Sigma, he joins the rebellion, using his skills learned as a Ranger to be the first line of defense for the forest base.__When asked why he fell for Sigma's Rebellion, Sting Chameleon hints that he, and possibly some other Maverick-turned Maverick Hunters, may have been forced to join due to hostages being involved._

**__******Flame Mammoth (Mega Man X): **_Leader of the 4th Land Battalion, Flame Mammoth used to be stationed in the Middle East. Hearing of Sigma's rebellion, he dreamed of getting an even tighter grasp on his own potential power and of going on violent rampages and decided to join the rebellion. He enjoys crushing and humiliating anyone weaker than himself and was hated by the Reploids who served under him. He plans on letting his firepower do the talking, taking over an industrial area, and turning it all into weapons manufacturing._

**__*******Light Armor (Mega Man X): **_The first "Power Armor" that X could obtain in the Mega Man X series; Once X found a hidden capsule in one of the appropriate stages, a hologram of Dr. Light would reward him with one piece of the full armor set. The pieces were: Head Part (protects from falling rocks and is able to break breakable stones), Body Parts (cuts damage by 50%), Foot Parts (allowed X to dash and also broke certain rocks), and the Arm Parts (granted Mega Man X the "Spiral Crush Buster", which let him charge a Charge Shot to a stronger version and also allowed you to charge weapons received by bosses)._

**__******** New Arcadia (Mega Man Zero): **_Concerned about the safety of the civilians who had suffered greatly during the Elf Wars, Mega Man X founded Neo Arcadia as an organization dedicated to providing support to the refugees and survivors. Treating humans and Reploids equally and doing everything in his power to tend to them, he quickly earned a reputation among the refugees which allowed him to maintain order within the organization and the survivors. __After the devastating conclusion of the "four year long conflict", Neo Arcadia expanded from an organization into a giant city with its own government. While the name "Neo Arcadia" officially referred to the government in power, the dome city itself was generally also called by that name. With virtually the entire world lying in ruins, unsuitable to sustain human life, it became the center of the world and its only still functional city, housing the entire remaining world population. With the creation of Neo Arcadia as a city and government came two primary objectives: To eradicate the Mavericks (who had been the cause of the wars) and restoring the world from the horrible scars it had suffered after centuries of warfare. _

**__*********Quantum Refractors (Mega Man Legends/64): **_T__he main energy source in the Legends series, Quantum Refractors are large crystals capable of generating efficient amounts of energy when spun at high speeds. These crystals are found deep underground in ruins guarded by Reaverbots and traps.__Smaller Refractors, known as Refractor shards (resembling actual shards in Legends 1 while looking like small refractors in Legends 2) are, instead of being used as a power source, are converted into the world's currency, Zenny. The highest class of Refractor Shards are Blue, common in the first game, while in the second, blue Refractor Shards are incredibly rare, only dropped by one enemy, while dark violet is more common. Shards vary in both size and color depending on their worth._

**__**********Digger (Mega Man Legends/64): **_Diggers are those who explore the ancient ruins found below ground all over Terra (Earth), in search for Refractors and other useful items such as valuables and ancient in a digout is very dangerous due to the traps and hostile Reaverbots found in ruins, and as such they must be licensed to enter many of the ruins. While all kinds of Diggers exist, they are predominantly young males. Additionally, it is also common for Diggers to have parts of their bodies modified or replaced with tools and weapons. In some cases it may also be to patch up there are a variety of reasons that may motivate a Digger to enter ruins, they are not mere treasure hunters; respectable Diggers retrieve Refractors and other technology from the ruins for the good of society. Most civilization makes use of Holon technology that was left behind by the ancients, and high quality Refractors are needed to provide utilities to cities and power many kinds of machines; thus, civilization is very dependent on the work of who are motivated by greed and fortune and don't respect the laws are predominantly Air Pirates. Many Diggers seek for the legendary Mother Lode, a treasure rumored to be so great that were it discovered, it would provide so much power that the world need never fear of running out of energy and will make its owner rich._

**__***********Reaverbot (Mega Man Legends/64): **_A__ncient, mysterious robots present that dwell in the ruins found throughout the Mega Man Legends series, the majority of them are usually marked with a round red eye and ridges that give them a skeletal look. Reaverbots come in many forms and sizes, and will almost always attack anyone who enters their ruins, although there are some peaceful Reaverbots such as the Mandomantal._


	5. Chapter 4

X quickly walked across the palace grounds, heading for the front gates as fast as he could without drawing too much attention to himself. All those years of staring outside from the windows and dreaming of what life was like for normal civilians…and here he was, so close to the front door that he could barely contain his excitement! Nothing was going to stop him now!

But as he got closer to his goal, he started getting nervous; what if he didn't act like a normal Reploid would? Would someone recognize him? True, he had taken a fall into the snow and also spent a bit of time to dirty himself a bit, but was this enough to camouflage himself in the real world?

Suddenly and without warning, the prince was jarred out of his thoughts as he was lifted high off the ground by the back of his chest plate.

"I was wondering when his highness was going to be through with you, peasant." Sigma growled, shaking the prince a bit as he glared eye to eye with him.

"Peasant?" X thought for a second before smiling slightly; If he was able to fool Sigma, then anyone would believe he was just another Reploid on the streets! "Oh Captain..." X chuckled, "...it seems my disguise has indeed fooled you. Do not tell anyone of this, but it's actually me, Prince X."

Captain Sigma blinked and was silent for a few seconds before he bellowed a laugh, "Don't make me laugh; I have served the royal family longer then you have been operational, boy. A mere lie like that is not going to sway my mind to let you off easy!"

"I'm going to forgive you and forget this conversation ever happened, Sigma. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes..." X nodded respectfully and frowned at the Captain with a sigh, "...Now, would you mind putting me down and getting the door for me?"

The Captain scanned the person in his grasp with his eyes and after a second of silence, chuckled darkly as he set the prince down onto the snow.

"Forgive me...your highness...I did not recognize you in that attire. Allow me to apologize for my rude behavior yet again."

"Think nothing of it, Captain. My father and Colonel will not hear of this, I promise." X brushed himself off and turned to the door, starting to walk towards it.

"Allow me to get the door for you, your highness."

"How thoughtful of-" Quicker then the prince could register, Sigma delivered a heavy uppercut to his stomach, snarling as he then grabbed the young prince's head and hurled him over the wall of the castle. Even though the fall was shorter then the fall out of the window he had jumped from, the pain was even greater on impact and X felt he almost passed out from the damage.

Raising himself weakly off the ground, he coughed and wiped a bit of oil from his mouth as he recovered. What was Sigma thinking? Didn't he realize he had just assaulted a member of the royal family?

It took a few seconds for X to realize where exactly he was...and when he did, all of his thoughts and fears seemed to melt away.

Abel City lay in front of him, no longer barred to him from the castle where he called home. The entire city was now his to explore and was his teacher; no longer was he confined in the classrooms and other boring routines of his life. For this one day, Prince X was truly alive!

From off a ways away, a sudden bark made the prince turn around and he smiled at a red and pink robot dog as it bounded up to him. But when it got closer, the dog started to slow down and looked quizzically at him, its head cocked to one side as if it were in a state of deep confusement.

"What's the matter boy?" X lowered to his knees and held his hand out, showing that he wasn't a threat.

The dog took a sniff of his hand but lowered his head sadly before whimpering at him. A sort of sigh escaped its muzzle and it walked past him, slowly making its way to the door of the castle where it laid down in front of it, its head on its paws as it watched the gate.

Getting off the ground, Prince X shrugged and turned from the dog, making his way into the streets of his city. According to his sensors, the cold would make humans less likely to walk around, but there may be many Reploids like him wandering around. Maybe he could ask them a few things like places of interest and whatnot. Or maybe even ask where he could-

"THERE YOU ARE!"

X's eyes went wide and he froze in place. Was it someone from the castle? Had they already found out of the pauper and his' plan? Was his day of freedom actually coming to an end?

Slowly turning to face his possible assailant, the prince was dumbfounded as instead of being greeted by a guard or someone he recognized, a human girl with blonde hair walked up to him, a wrench pointed at him threateningly.

"Where have you been?! Don't you know how worried I was about you, huh?!"

The Prince tried to come to grips on what was happening. Who was this girl? And how did she know the little pauper he had met earlier?

"Why didn't you tell me you went out for a walk earlier? Y-you could have gotten hurt o-or worse! I-I..."

The girl started to cry loudly, gripping X close to her as if letting go of him would mean the end of the world. The prince felt himself blush; he had never been given a hug like this before. And it was from a girl…which was also new. Come to think of it, this must have been one of the first humans he had seen that was around his age.

"I-Im sorry…please don't cry..." the prince wrapped his arms around her and gave her a reassuring, comforting hug. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I just needed to…clear my head; must have lost track of time."

The blonde sniffed and nodded, still hugging onto him but her grip had loosened a bit. As she finally let go, the blonde rubbed her eyes with her hand as if to try hide her tears. "I-I know…I just don't want anything to happen to you, bro."

Ah! So that's how she knew him; Rock had a family, as X had originally thought. Well, at least he wouldn't be alone for the day. Maybe being around her would help him learn how to fit in even better! But right now, his first priority was to make his supposed "sister" feel better.

He held her shoulders gently and tilted his head slightly in concern. "What is your name?"

The human looked puzzled but responded after a few seconds. "What kind of question is that, Rock?"

A stupid one, yes. But in this case, he needed her response so he could act more like her brother. "Just answer, please."

After a few seconds, the girl rolled her eyes and sighed. "R-Roll Caskett…"

Roll….what a pretty name. Odd, but it still had a nice ring to it. And her last name...Caskett...wasn't that something related to machines? He wondered if she had a talent for repairing and building things when he nodded and staring into her eyes to...oh god, those beautiful eyes! He felt like he was just losing himself in them, forever sucked into those blue orbs of...

The Prince realized that Roll was staring at him with a raised eyebrow. Recovering his wits, X blinked and looked a bit lower at her nose so he could focus. "Alright Roll, since I made you worry so much about my safety, how about I…do whatever you want for a day?"

"Anything I want?" Her index finger tapped her lips for a second in deep thought, "If you could do the laundry and cook dinner tonight that would be a big help."

X considered her response; it did seem fair. If Rock had scared her to tears, then he would do whatever she wanted to make her feel better…

"Deal," the prince held out his hand and smiled when Roll shook it, confirming the promise. "Now, how about we get some food? I bet you are hungry."

Roll smiled back. "Yeah, food does sound like a great idea. The usual sound good?"

And so Prince X took his first real steps in the real world. And as he walked off with Rock's sister, he couldn't help but blush slightly.


	6. Chapter 5

While Prince X was busy in Abel City, Rock was sitting in the dining hall waiting on breakfast. Before he had come in, a Reploid with a hover attachment by the name of Axle had greeted him and asked a flurry of questions. As calmly as he could, Rock had answered the questions and soon he was sitting down with a group of unknown Reploids and humans he had never seen before.

"What took you so long to arrive, sire?"

Rock looked up quickly to the older gentleman at the other side of the table and he fumbled for a good excuse.

"Um…well you see…there was some commotion outside earlier so I wanted to check on it!"

"He's telling the truth, Doctor Cain," Axle answered while sipping on some oil in a silver goblet. "Just before I came in, he said he had some business to attend to."

The doctor frowned at the guard sternly. "And why, Axle, didn't you go with him? You are his bodyguard after all!"

"It's alright, Doctor; the prince can hold his own if the need arises."

The Reploid next to Rock was a large male dressed in a white upper body plate and a black cuirass. His hands had red and black gauntlets and his boot pieces matched somewhat. On his head, a black officer's hat with the "Repliforce*" emblem sat perfectly aligned in military fashion.

Dr. Cain swallowed slightly, "But Colonel**…"

Colonel locked eyes with Dr. Cain and made the older human look away after a few seconds. Rock on the other hand could not help but stare at the intimidating Reploid. Tales of Colonel and the other members of Repliforce, the royal family's own private guard, were almost legendary. Colonel himself was one of the highest ranking officers and was known for being extremely cunning and steadfast in battle.

"Besides," Colonel's voice brought back Rock's attention to the conversation, "We cannot have Axle become a nursemaid to the prince; I did not train him for such duties."

Axle smirked at Colonel's words and was about to reply when the doors from the kitchen opened and Mattao strolled in, accompanied by a few Reploids and humans in chef's uniforms.

"Suppertime!" the human grinned. "Sorry about the wait, I was told not to bring the food out until it was perfect for everyone."

Rock looked past Mattao and his eyes went wide as he saw the food on the carts. According to rumor, the food at the castle was made to look like real human food but was able to be eaten by both Reploids and humans alike!

"Did Iris*** get on you again about the cooking?" Colonel smirked and looked past the servant to the kitchen doors.

"Doesn't she always?" Mattao laughed as the other servants started serving everyone.

"Well if she gives you any trouble, let me know."

Axle smirked slyly, "Yeah, you don't want Iris bothering you, right Mattao?"

At the sound of Axle's words, Mattao's face flushed and then slowly started turning bright red as he started walking back to the kitchen.

"B-be right back everyone! …Forgot t-the desserts for after the meal."

_D-Dessert after breakfast? _Rock blinked. He had been staring at the food for so long that he spaced out on what the conversation was. If he had a stomach, it would be growling like a thunder storm.

As Axle snickered behind his goblet, Dr. Cain cleared his throat.

"Sire, we have time for one more question before we eat. Now…Constantinople is the capital of what country?"

Rock began to drool a little from watching eggs, bacon, vegetables, stuffing, and other assortments of food fill his plate. As he saw one of the chefs cut into a juicy turkey, Rock sighed happily.

"…Turkey…"

"Very good, my liege! I'm glad you listened to yesterday's lesson."

As his plate was placed in front of him, Rock went to reach for an apple when it was snatched away from him as quick as a flash!

"Whoa there, not so fast sire; I have to check and see if the food is safe!"

Mattao was standing next to the prince with the apple in his hand, his finger wagging in front of him in a scolding manner. Thinking for a few seconds, Rock realized that he was right. What if it was poisoned or worse?

"Uh…that's a splendid idea, Mattao! I'm glad I thought of it!"

The servant looked blankly at Rock before shrugging and lifted the apple to eye level, observing it as if it was a critical piece of artwork before taking a bite. He swallowed the piece and smacked his lips a bit before smiling.

"This is safe…"

The rest of the group continued eating as Mattao went through at least one item on everyone's plate. As he reached where Axle was sitting, he grabbed the turkey leg out of his hand and took a huge bite.

"What the heck Mattao? I was eating that!" Axle reached out for the turkey leg, but as his fingers were about to touch, it was whisked a bit farther away from him.

"Hmm…this tastes a bit off. Lemme try another bite…" Mattao grinned slyly at Axle and took another bite, taunting the guard.

Axle growled and leaped from his seat, wrestling with Mattao until they both stood up again, a tug of war for the turkey leg beginning to start. "Hand it over, shortstack!"

"As the royal valet, it is my job to do this so bug off and let me work in peace, you rusty tin bucket!"

"Well as a royal guard, I decree that food does not need to be tested anymore!"

"Like heck you can! Who do you think you are, the prince or something?!"

Rock giggled slightly from the display the two were putting on until Colonel slammed his fist on the table.

"Enough of this stupidity; release the leg, **both** of you!"

Mattao and Axle stopped fighting for the leg and looked at each other before the servant took a few steps back and Axle forcefully placed it back onto his plate.

After a bit of silence, Rock cleared his throat. "…Why don't you join us for breakfast, Mattao?"

"Normally I would love to accept the offer, but I got some work to do. Thank you though my prince, your kindness means a lot to me and the others!"

With that, Mattao bowed theatrically and started back shuffling to the door, the other chefs following him. As the door closed, he rose back up and waved ecstatically.

"Enjoy the food everyone!"

Dr. Cain rolled his eyes and started eating again as the doors fully closed. "There's something funny about that boy…"

"At least he can cook!" Axle grinned as he took a bite of a delicious corn on the cob.

**((Author's notes:**

*******Repliforce****: First appearing in **_**Mega Man X4 **_**as a large military group composing of Reploids and represents all military factions. Each individual faction sported its own unique a different color and symbol.**

********Colonel****: The Colonel of Repliforce and Zero's close friend who also uses a beam sword in ****Mega Man X4****. Near the end of the game, Zero or X (depending on who you choose) is forced to fight Colonel due to manipulation by Sigma and the soldier tragically dies from the battle.**

*********Iris****: Colonel's sister and helper to Zero in ****Mega Man X4****. When she finds out her brother was killed by Zero, Iris goes insane and merges with a power suit to kill him. Tragically, Zero is forced to kill his friend and love interest. )))**


	7. Chapter 6

_**((Greetings, true believers and fellow fanfic writers/readers! I apologize for once again disappearing on you, but things have been kid of rocky since school restarted and even before then my computer broke! BUT, now I am back and here to dish out more awesomeness for you all! So sit back and enjoy the newest chapter...cause it is the start of my comeback from a long absence!))**_

"Come on, Rock! Let's grab some pastries for dessert tonight!"

Roll made a beeline towards a nearby pastry shop, a child-like enthusiasm seeming to overtake her as she almost dragged Prince X towards the store. Stopping at the window, she pressed her face against it and barely resisted the urge to drool.

"Oh wow...look at that cake! And that strudel! Oh, and that sticky bun!"

As Roll occupied herself with the sights and smells of the tasty treats, the prince giggled softly at her display. It was hard to believe that a few minutes earlier, this girl was lecturing him like Dr. Cain would often do when he wasn't paying attention to his studies.

But she was nothing like Dr. Cain; while the doctor scolded him like a disobedient child for not remembering the capital of a forgotten city that no one would regularly bring into conversation, Roll lectured him because she thought he was her brother. And she lectured her brother because she cared so much about him.

Staring past Roll and the sweets in front of her, his gaze fell on to his own reflection in the window. Since he had been outside of the castle, his armor was already getting dirty and his usually groomed hair was a total mess. From the rate he was going, he looked like the little pauper every second!

A sudden gust of wind made the prince shiver a bit and he realized for the first time since he was out of the castle how cold it really was. And if it was cold now, he didn't even want to think about how cold it would be during the night hours. Perhaps Roll had some E-tank tea and some energy biscuits at their residence for later...

"Hey Roll, let's go inside and choose something. It's kind of cold out and I don't want you to get a fever or something."

Roll looked up from the window and nodded, "That sounds good, I could probably choose something faster inside anyways." With a giggle, she quickly walked past X and skipped into the store. As he was about to step inside to accompany Roll, he noticed a group of children and young Reploids snapping icicles off of store windows and awnings. One of them, a young blonde wearing a Russian hat and a red dress, was jumping as high as she could to reach the icicle above her. After a few jumps, she frowned and hung her head sadly as she gave up trying to reach it.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

The girl looked up at the prince as he knelt down and she sniffed, wiping one of her eyes as she spoke in a Russian accent. "I-I can't reach the icicle..."

Prince X smiled softly and lifted the girl off the ground, placing her on his shoulders and walked to the nearest icicle. Giggling, the girl grabbed it and tugged as hard as she could until it yanked free. The force of her tugs made the two of them fall backwards, laughing in the snow. As X got up out of the snow, he was about to say something to the little girl when a huge pile of snow from the awning fell on him.

"You look like a big snowman, comrade!"

X blushed lightly as he looked down at himself and found himself laughing at his dilemma. By now, the other kids and young Reploids had come by and they all began to help try to dig him out of the snow. After he was free, the prince bowed dramatically and laughed with them until Roll came out of the store with a bag of treats and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey bro, have fun while I was gone?"

X rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and blushed, "S-sorry Roll, they were pulling icicles off the awnings and it looked fun..."

Roll simply shook her head and chuckled, looking down at the little girl that X had assisted. "Rock didn't mess up your hat, did he Kalinka*?"

Kalinka giggled and adjusted her hat so it was firmly placed on her head, "Nope, my hat is fine. Thank you again for the assistance, Rock! Don't forget about the picnic next week!"

X simply nodded with a smile as the girl curtsied and ran back to the group of children and young Reploids, who were now starting to make snow angels.

* * *

Back at the castle, Rock was standing in the courtyard with a purple, eagle-like Reploid named Storm Eagle**. On his right arm sat a robotic bird with a hood over its head, sitting as still as a statue.

"Alright my liege, today we shall begin learning the art of falconry. Unfortunately, Dr. Cain was busy with a prior engagement, so I decided to take over in his place."

Rock nodded and listened to what Storm Eagle was teaching about the history and methods of falconry, trying to look like he understood what he was talking about.

"Now, before we begin having your falcon hunt sire," Storm Eagle explained, "he must first become used to your presence."

"Okay, sounds easy enough," Rock replied as he took the falcon from Storm Eagle and placed it on his own arm, mimicking what his teacher had done before. Finally, he removed the hood off of the falcon and released it to hunt.

"Very good, X. It seems the falcon was quicker to be comfortable with you then I thought." Storm Eagle clapped silently and smiled.

"Hey, your highness!"

The two of them turned and was greeted by Axl and Mattao as they walked up next to Storm Eagle, who bowed in respect at the servant and bodyguard.

"Good to see you, Axl. And you as well, Mattao."

"Same to you, Storm Eagle!" Mattao bowed and grinned. "So what is the lesson today, X? Swordplay? A mental game of wits?"

"Actually," Rock pointed up at the falcon above their heads. "I just learned how to train a falcon!"

"A falcon?! You get a falcon! **Duuude**, that's not fair!"

Axl smirked, "Mattao, you wouldn't know how to raise a falcon let alone train one."

The servant frowned and crossed his arms, "Oh yeah? Just watch me, tin can!"

As the three others watched, Mattao walked a few steps forward and raised his arm up in a typical trainer fashion as he looked upwards at the bird, his voice going deep and commanding in a "manly" fashion (almost sounding like Johnny Bravo).

"Falcon, return to thee!"

"...The heck happened to his voice...?" Axl face palmed.

At his command, the falcon circled before flying back towards the group, making Mattao grin in triumph as he looked away from the bird.

"Woah, he actually called it back!" Rock said in awe.

"See Axl? What did I tell ya? I'm a pro a-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the falcon screeched and swooped over his head, its talons slicing off a few hairs on poor Mattao's head as the servant ducked in the nick of time!

"Hey! The hell was that for, you overgrown chicken?!"

"Mattao, I do not think it is wise to anger it," Storm Eagle replied as he crossed his arms. "Birds are more intelligent and cunning then you think."

"Yeah," Axl snickered, "it probably is smarter then you anyways, shorty!"

"Oh yeah? Well let's see how mighty it is when I shove my foot up its robotic-"

As the falcon made another swoop, Mattao yelped and dived behind the nearest pot, peeking out behind it as he watched the skies carefully.

"Uh...your highness? Mind calling off your "pet" for me?"

Rock looked around the courtyard in confusion, "How do I do that?"

"I don't know! You are the one who let it fly around the friggen place, so **you** think of something!"

"You could pretend to be a mouse or something! That might help!" Axl called from his place next to Storm Eagle.

"**How** would that help in **any** way, Axle?!"

"Mattao," Storm Eagle sighed. "Just calm down and try to relax."

"The bird is trying to **kill** me! How the hell do I stay calm whe-"

His words were cut of as the falcon made another dive bomb towards his head, actually picking the young man up by the back of his shirt and carrying him with it a few feet off the ground. In his panic, Mattao flailed about and screamed like a girl as he tried to get free, desperately crying for help.

In response to the event taking place before him, Rock grabbed a net attachment from nearby and started running after the bird and its screaming captive, trying his best to capture the falcon without hurting Mattao. Axl, on the other hand, had begun to rolling the ground with laughter, tears of oil falling from his cheeks from laughing so hard. And Storm Eagle, still standing in the same place as before, shook his head and mumbled about how birds love shiny objects...just like Mattao's necklace.

**(((author's notes:**

*_**Kalinka Cossack**__ – Named after the Russian song, "Kalinka", she is the nine year old daughter of Dr. Cossack from Megaman 4. In the game she was captured by Wily and held at ransom so her father could build robots and other machines for Wily, but was saved by Proto Man and was able to stop the fight between Dr. Cossack and Mega Man before any bloodshed. Though she has appeared in only a few games, her true claim to fame is many appearances in the Mega Man comic series by Archie and in the manga of Rockman 4, Rockman 8, Mega Man Megamix, and Mega Man Gigamix. _

****Storm Eagle**: _One of the first bosses in the Megaman X series whose stage was set aboard an airship named the Death Rogumer. Leader of the 7th air squadron, his forte is lightning-quick dog fights and air battles. Always calm, cool and collected, he doesn't talk much and can be difficult to approach, though he is very popular with his men. When the Maverick rebellion broke out, he tried his best to stop Sigma, but was forced to bow to Sigma's immense power and work for him.))__**)**_


	8. Chapter 7

_**((Ugh it has been too long, dear readers! I apologize for the extremely long delay in my writing...I have not had time to fully sit down and write something until last semester ended! Also could be that this chapter is longer then the others..BUT ANYWAYS, here is the latest chapter for this story. Hopefully, fingers crossed, this is the start of more to come soon. **_

_**Oh and a BIG thank you to EmperorOfFools and Sunrise Phoenix (as well as anyone that I forgot to mention) for the support and for giving me a kick in the ass to start writing again. Couldn't have done any of this without you)))**_

After helping Roll get some errands done and making sure she was preoccupied, the prince went back into the city to enjoy the last bit of his day. Looking around at the Reploids and humans he called his subjects, he started to get the feeling that maybe the "commoners" were not as different as everyone in the castle thought them to be. Sure, there were ones that were obviously not fit for "civilized" life...but there were a majority of them that would work well with that lifestyle if given the opportunity.

Looking down a dark alleyway, Prince X felt a twang in his chest. '_These must be the slums Doctor Cain always talked about... ' _he thought as he took a cautious step forward, slowly making his way through. The size of the alleyway was big enough to fit four people side by side as long as nothing got in the way, however due to the amount of people, objects, and the buildings themselves, even one person had a hard time going from one secton to the next.

And as he looked around the dismal place...Prince X witnessed poverty at its worst.

There were blind, crippled, and even slightly deranged humans and Reploids scurrying to and fro among the allyway. Some were sitting on the ground, bundled for warmth with hardly anything around them. Even children seemed to be involved in the horror he was witnessing. Bumping into a Reploid a bit taller then him, the female's arm fell off and as she picked it up, she glared at him from a single cracked eye.

"Watch where you're going!" Her voicebox was scratchy and skippy, like a tape recording played on a slow setting. She spat oil at his feet and kept walking, holding her arm at the shoulder as she tried to replace it.

In a panic, X tried to quickly walk out of the alleyway, his memory servers unwilling to comprehend what he was seeing. As he found a corner that led away from what was around him, he ran down it for a few feet and slumped against the wall, sighing with relief; the worst of it was over.

...Or so he thought...

A low growl issued from a box a few feet away from him and a robotic doberman crawled out slowly. The body of the dog was decayed, giving it an almost zombified appearance as it drooled rusty oil and other liquid from its mouth.

"Uh...nice pooch..." The prince started backing away from the dog, who was now advancing quickly. It gave a demonic sounding bark and jumped through the air towards him, its decomposing body surprisingly still agile.

On instinct, X dodged out of the way and started running down the nearest corridor he could find in the alley, wishing he was back in the safety and warmth of the castle he called home. The sound of the dog was close at his heels and the prince occasionally shot his arm cannon near his feet to make the dog back off.

Unfortunately, X turned a final corner and ended up at a dead end. Cursing his luck, he turned to face the dog and realized that more had joined it as if they were part of a pack. Robotic dogs of all shapes and sizes surrounded him, growling and snarling.

The prince gulped but held his ground in a defensive stance, his arm cannon ready for anything. As soon as the first dog leaped at him with a howl, X had already fired.

* * *

Rock and Axl had eventually separated in hopes of finding the servant after he was taken by the robotic falcon, however even after an hour of searching they still had no idea where he could have ended up and eventually met up in one of the rooms near the top of the castle .

"I've looked everywhere, X. I don't know where that darn flying turkey may have gone with him."

The pauper gulped slightly when he was called "X", hoping he was still keeping up the charade and not giving the guard any reason to suspect otherwise. He was taken out of his thoughts by Axl as he sighed, his left hand on his neck.

"Man, if Iris finds out something happened to him, she's gonna grind my gears about this..."

"He must mean a lot to her, huh?"

Axl looked up at "the prince" and blinked. "Uh yeah...don'tcha know?"

Rock shook his head, "About what?"

The Royal Guard smirked, "Man you are really out of the loop aren't ya? Iris and Mattao go way back...they grew up together actually."

"I take it he kept her company?" Rock smiled slightly as well, already knowing the possible answer.

Axl grinned mischeviously, "Why not ask him? Im sure he'd love telling you about it!" Turning to the window, he was about to say something when he suddenly yelped from surpise and backed away from the window. In a second, Rock was next to Axl and he too expressed a look of shock and surprise.. Sitting on an alcove near the window, Mattao sat cross legged on the ledge with his arms crossed, a look of annoyance on his face as he glared at the window.

"H-How the hell did he get up there?!" Axl opened the window and leaned out. "Hey Mattao! You alright man?"

"Fine, no thanks to you! Took you guys long enough; you know how long I've been up here waiting for you to notice me? I was flailing my arms and crap!"

Axl chuckled slightly as he held out his hand, "Come on bud, I'll getcha back in."

"And here I was thinking I had been forgotten, doomed to look at this landscape forever...," Mattao grumbled as he stood up and carefully made his way within Axl's reach, taking his hand and stepping into the safety of the castle. Once inside, he stretched and issued a grunt when his back cracked.

"Hey Prince...next time you train a bird, leave me out of it ok?"

Rock nodded with a sigh of relief, "Glad you're okay Mattao. Are you hurt?"

"Nah...all the bird did was piss me off and scratch me up a bit. Nothing I can't handle."

Axl grinned as he leaned on the wall, "You should have Iris check to see if you suffered any other sorta injuries...can't be too careful, ya know?"

Mattao glared in the guard's direction before walking away from the two, holding his shoulder. Rock looked over at Axl in a scolding manner before walking off to catch up with Mattao. "Hey Mattao! Wait up!"

The servant looked back at him, a combination of tired and slightly annoyed written on his face. "Need something?"

"I just wanted to make sure you got to the infirmary alright. I mean it was my fault that you got carried off in the first place..."

For a few seconds, Mattao just stared back at him with an unchanging expression. But then a small smile cracked through and his eyes softened a bit, "Heh...you haven't changed one bit, X..."

Mattao slowed down and let "the prince" walk with him. For a while he was silent, just staring into space with a blank expression. Worried about he servant's usual cheerful self not being present, Rock bit his lip. Now was probably best to ask...

"Mattao, may I ask you something?"

The servant blinked and he looked in his direction with a smile. "Hmm? What's up?"

"Can you..." Rock hesitated before answering, trying not to sound like Axl would in this situaton. "Well, I was just interested in the relatonship you and Iris have. I mean I don't think I've ever-"

As Rock trailed off, he finally realized that Mattao had stopped walking and as he turned to him, he found the servant standing in the middle of one of the hallways, his face a dark red. For a few seconds, he simply stood there until he finally blinked and cleared his throat as if regaining composure.

"I...uh...well I wouldn't call it a...relationship..."

"I-I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry. I was just curious on how you two met is all."

The moment the question left Rock's mouth, Mattao seemed to change. His eyes seemed to shine slightly, his dark blue eyes looking like the water in the fountain Rock always walked past in the park. His smile also seemed to widen and the red in his face softened to a soft pink. "I-Im sure you wouldn't be interested in that, my liege. I mean Im just a servant and the events of my life aren't as important as-"

Rock's hand gripped Mattao's shoulder in friendly reassurance, trying to think of what Prince X would say in this situation. "Mattao, you're my friend. And as my friend, your life is as equally important as mine."

Seeing Mattao frown slightly as he contemplated what he said, Rock sighed. "Look...if you don't wanna talk about it cause it's personal I understand. I was just curious is all..."

Mattao smiled his usual smile and shrugged. "It's alright, I wouldn't mind talking about it actually. How about we go to the kitchen first; all that commotion with the bird made me hungry."

Rock nodded, returning the smile. "Sounds like a plan. Wanna race there?"

For a second, Mattao was speechless. The prince of the kingdom was wanting to race through the halls like any other commoner? Yes, Prince X was more of a free spirit then the others but...he had never heard him outright suggest something like that. However, the more he thought about the idea...

The servant grinned and stuck his tongue out at Rock, running down the hall as fast as he could. "Catch up if ya caaan!"

* * *

Prince X breathed heavily, looking like he had gone through hell and back. His arm cannon turned back into its normal hand piece as he went to one knee, holding his chest.. A few minutes before, the dogs had run off with their tails between their legs.

_'Good thing...I wasn't forced to kill any of them...'_

The dogs had attacked him because they were desperate and hungry; showing them that he was a supreme threat made the dogs leave him alone to find easier prey. All he had to do to intimiate them was fire shots that wounded certain parts of their body. The shoulders, the legs, the back. Non-lethal areas that still inflicted pain.

Leaving the dead end behind, the prince started to regain his breath a bit and eventually found a way back to the normal streets of Abel City. His mind however was plauged with questions and even more disbeliefs.

_'I never knew Abel City was like this...could it be that since my father turned ill, the people are loosing hope? Could I really be able to...'_

"Someone help me!"

The scream he had heard cut X's thoughts and he looked in the direction where it had issued from. In front of the fountain, a blonde woman was being attacked by three robots. They were all about half of the prince's height, with large yellow heads with almost anime-looking faces on them. Their bodies were blue, with yelow foot parts that matched their hands which looked more like two-pronged claws. To X, these menaces looked more like...children's toys...

"Let go of the yummy chicken!" One of the bots commanded in a child-like voice, its face showing one of frustration as the other two pulled on the chicken together to match the equal strength of the woman.

"Do not resist, Mayor Amelia* of Abel City! By order of Tiesel Bonne** who was commanded by the highest powers of Lord Light, we must retrieve this chicken!" One of the servbots pulling on the chicken grunted and lost its grip from pulling so hard, falling over onto its rear with a squeak.

Seeing her chance, the woman kicked off the other toy-like robot and turned to run away from them. However, her chance was short lived as she bumped into something solid and fell over; looking up, she gasped as a larger man wearing a green and black suit scoweled down at her.

"Really Amelia, you know it isn't nice to make my Servbots*** cry! How could you do such a thing to a cute little fella like that?"

Pointing behind her, the one she had kicked was indeed crying, the other two Servbots trying to comfort it by rubbing its back and tending to the place Amelia's foot had hit. The man growled and picked her up by the shoulder, snatching the chicken from her hands, his silver ponytail bobbing slightly.

"Honestly...all this over a chicken?"

"Tiesel, please don't do this; it's all I have!" Amelia pleaded as she looked into his orange-red eyes. For a split second, Tiesel showed feelings of pain and hurt...but they were soon replaced with malice as an evil grin appeared on his lips. "Well...then it's all the Bonne family will take!"

The prince stared flabbergasted at what was happening before his eyes; no one stopped and helped this woman, who was their Mayor no less! Was it fear that made them ignore her cries? Was it that they just didn't care?

"Servbots! Let's move out!" Tiesel turned away from Amelia and started walking away from her, the servbots following his heels like obedient puppies. He stopped however when a certain blue and cyan Reploid stood in his way.

"And what do you want, boy?"

Prince X glared up at the leader of the Bonne family, his voice commanding and full of authority. "Tiesel Bonne, by the orders vested in me as your Royal Prince, I demand that you return that hen to its rightful owner!"

The Servbots and Tiesel Bonne blinked in surprise, looking over the "pauper" in front of them before bursting into laughter.

"What is so amusing? I don't see anything funny about this!" X crossed his arms, annoyed and on the verge of anger.

"Forgive us, my liege," Tiesel wiped a tear away as he bowed on one knee. "I just happened to notice that you forgot your..."

"CROWN!" Before Prince X realized what was happening, the Servbots had made a synchronized ladder by hopping onto the others' shoulders behind Tiesel. The one on the top (who had screamed) threw a large pumpkin at him, making the prince fall over in a heap. Tiesel stood up quickly and with the Servbots laughed maniacly as they ran off with the chicken, leaving X covered in pumpkin juice and the stringy insides. Spitting a seed out, X struggled to recover from the blow and heard the sound of the Amelia running up to him.

"Are you alright?" Her tone was full of worry as she helped him stand, attempting to assist by also cleaning his face with the handerchief she was holding.

"I cannot believe the world has come to this..." Prince X shook his head, still dazed. "Stealing...in the King's name no less..."

"It has been happening for almost a year now..." Amelia sighed as she helped him sit down. "The Mavericks steal food and anything else they can find. Even people like Tiesel Bonne have been corrupted by the influence thy have on the city..."

As Amelia opened her mouth to say something else, a whirring of metal and thudded clanks echoed down the street to their right. The prince, now fully back to normal, stood up and peered at what was coming towards their location, his eyes wide with surprise.

The shilouette of an intimidating green mecha was advancing towards them, carrying a large cart full of items behind it. Inside of the mecha's top was a woman with black hair that stuck out on the sides thanks to the pink hairband she wore. She wore a pink shirt with a black, mini vest, accompanied by black pants and pink gloves and shoes. Behind her was an army of at least thirty Servbots, all carrying multiple items and food behind her.

"Miss Tron****!" One of the Servbots called from the back, "I'm hungry!"

Tron looked back at the Servbot with a frown, her skull earrings swinging gently. "Dont even think about eating that food, Servbot #25! We need to deliver all of this to the castle and you know what happens if we don't pay up."

"But I'm soooo hungry!" The Servbot whined.

"Me too!" Another carrying a chair chimed in.

"Rceballs! Riceballs! Riceballs!"

Tron seemed to groan and held her head, trying to ignore the Servbots' whining. "Fine. After the job is done, we can eat. Understand?"

Prince X's surpise turned to anger as he watched Tron and her helpers follow her through the street, stopping at certain times to collect things from the townspeople. Looking at the royal ring he had slipped onto his finger, X was filled with a sense of determination and walked away from Amelia. Now was not a time for pretending anymore...he had to throw away the illusion and become the prince his people deserved.

"Alright you slugs, make way! Gustave comin' through!" Tron was now standing out of her seat with a megaphone in her hands, making her voice echo as loud as the machine's heavy footsteps. As she saw Prince X standing in front of her path however, she stopped and leaned over the front of the mecha.

"Hey kid, move along! I got places to be!"

"I'm only going to say this once...," X growled, "...return all of the food and items you stole or else."

Tron snarled into her megaphone and flailed a fist down towards X, "And who do you think you are?! I'm not giving this loot back even if you were my mother! Now move!"

With a sigh, X raised his hand toward Tron's gaze, the ring glinting in the light. "Will this change your mind?"

At the sight of the ring, the citizen's watching the whole affair began to murmer amongst themselves. Everyone knew that only members of the royal family ever gained a ring like that. And even if someone tried to make a replica of the stone imbedded inside, there was no real way to pull of the real thing.

Tron herself dropped her megaphone, her mouth seeming to hit the floor as her face went pale.

"Thats...the ring...you...have a ring...?"

In an instant, Tron recollected her wits and stood fully upright, turning to the Servbots in her company.

"Servbots! Change of plans! Return the food and stuff we took! Quick!"

The Servbots were confused by their Master's change of plans but they shrugged and went off to happily return everything they took. Once she knew her Sevbots were doing their new assignment, Tron slipped out of the driver's seat and went to hurridly open the back of the cart for X, not saying a word for fearing the worst possible punishments that might befall her.

"Everyone!" X turned to look at the townspeople and smiled, "In the name of Lord Light, I myself will be giving back what was taken from you!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd as commoners human and Reploid alike crowded around the Gustave, looting the cart to retrieve their belongings. Amelia was about to push through the crowd when she felt a tap on her shoulder and was met with the smiling face of the prince, a familiar looking ham in his hands.

"Thank you, your highness..." she whispered as happy tears flowed down her face. X responded by bowing slightly to her and returned to the others, handing things out left and right.

Meanwhile, Roll had turned around a corner with a woman around her age dressed in a police uniform, chatting when they spied the commotion near the Gustave. Without a moment's hesitation, the police woman pushed past Roll and ran into the crowd with her pistol drawn.

"P-Police! I wanna know w-what's going on here!"Her voice sounded aggressive, but it was clearly uderlying her fear that something bad might have happened. Seeing the Prince on the cart throwing food to people, she lowered the pistol with shock.

"Rock?! What are you doing up there?"

The prince looked in the womans direction and he paled. Jumping off the cart, he smiled sheepishly as he walked towards her.

"Uh...hey Miss Marmalade! Long time no see."

Denise Marmalade*****, the police woman in question, was a rookie cop of the police force in the city. She was friendly and very polite...however she seemed to be inept at her job no matter how hard she tried. Prince X recognized her from when she visited the castle to report what was going on outside the castle walls and considered that now was not the best time to be dealing with a situation like this.

"I have no idea what is going on, Rock. But whatever it is..."

"Denise...," the prince smiled and shook his head.

"Don't Denise me, young man! You can't just go running into trouble all the time! And why the hell would you even attempt to...what you did was scuicide at best!"

"Miss Marmalade..."

"And what would Roll say if she saw you like this?! Do you really wanna make her worry about you even more then she-"

Denise's words were cut off as Prince X lifted his hand nonchalantly, showing her the ring on his finger. For a second, she stared at the ring as if examining it. Then her eyes widened more then any human should be making them, her face going paler then an onion.

"Y-y-you're the...but you look just like..." she adjusted her glasses and hastily tried to go on one knee, only to end up tripping on her own foot and landing on her rear. "I-Im so sorry, my liege! I didn't..."

Prince X blinked in surprise but chuckled as he helped her up. "It's alright , Marmalade. I'm not going to have you arressted or anything. But what I would like you to do is to personally help me distribute these items back to the people. Can you help with that?"

The police woman gulped slightly and adjusted her glasses, "A-alright...I can do that..."

X nodded with a smile and jumped back onto the cart, returning to his duty as Denise started making somewhat of an organized line out of the other peasents.

At that moment, Roll had finally gotten through the crowd and ended up near the cart to see what was going on. What she saw however made her jaw drop: Rock (or someone like him) had taken over the Gustave and was giving things back to the citizens with Denise's help.

_Rock...have you lost your memory board?_

"Rock! Get down from there, you idiot! You're in a junkheap of trouble once I-"

Roll stopped yelling as someone pushed her aside and as she was about to give him a piece of her mind, she realized that it was one of the Mavericks who was followed by a group of soldiers soon after.

"What's going on here?!" The Maverick in question was a large, bi-pedal lion with its mane swept back like long, spiky hair. It growled as it looked around the crowd and its paws curled into fists, a large, sharp talon on every finger.

"Slash Beast*****! Thank goodness I found you!"

Slash Beast looked down at Tron Bonne as she pushed through the soldiers aside to get near him, panting heavily. "That's the one who showed me the ring, the blue and cyan one!"

The Maverick snarled and took a few steps forward near the cart, it's eyes never losing sight of the young Reploid throwing things to the crowd. Once it got a few feet, Slash Beast suddenly leaped into the air, its right foot aimed towards its prey's head.

Denise, who had turned to ask Prince X what to do next, gasped from the sight of the Maverick suddenly leaping out of the crowd. As if he had sensed why she had gasped, X leaped off the cart a split second before Slash Beast landed, everything under him breaking upon impact.

"S-Slash Beast!?"

Slash Beast stood upright and pointed towards the prince, its claw shining in the light and his teeth bared in challenge.

"Challenging my unit was both foolish and reckless!" The lion Maverick's eyes glinted evily, "You are nothing more than my prey...one that is soon to be retired!"

Prince X grit his teeth and took a defensive stance. "Denise, get out of here!"

Miss Marmalade looked at Slash Beast and nodded, not even hesitating in her escape from the crowd. Some of the soldiers started pursuing her, their guns drawn.

"No!" Slash Beast roared, making them stop in their tracks. "The police woman will be dealt with later. Capture this-"

Before the Maverick could continue his order however, a tomato flew through the air and hit him square in the face, its contents spraying over his upper chest and head. Wiping it off his face, Slash Beast snarled and turned to the crowd, only to dodge out of the way of a chair soon after. The one in question was none other then Amelia, who with the help of the rest of the crowd, started throwing anything they could find at Slash Beast and his minions.

"Run for it, your highness!"

Seeing his chance, the prince started sprinting off towards the first patch of the crowd he could find, using them as cover to hide from the Mavericks. As Slash Beast dodged and destroyed things that were thrown at him, he pointed to the crowd and roared a battle cry. His soldiers nodded and began to attack the crowd, searching for any sign of the blue menace they had tried to capture beforehand.

One of the soldiers had cornered Amelia with its blaster raised at her head. Sneering evily, it's hand was about to pull the trigger when a bolt of plasma energy ripped through its chest and upper shoulder, making the Maverick cry out in pain before it shut down, oil and machine fluid spraying everywhere as if it was human blood... A look of panic crossed her face but it faded as she realized the shot had come from the prince, who ran up next to her.

"Get out of here while you still can, I'll try to get them away from the crowd!" X pointed towards an alleyway nearbyand she nodded, running down it to safety. However, the same couldn't be said for the prince; his blaster shot had alerted the other soldiers of his presence and they all were closing in on him.

Without a second thought, he sprinted down a different street to keep them off Amelia's trail and away from the crowd of innocents, firing covering shots here and there to maintain the distance between them. He turned around a corner and was about to jump onto a rooftop when a larger group of soldiers came down the opposite end of the street towards him, making the prince skid to a stop. Turning to run the other way, the group originally following him rounded the bend and helped block his path.

Prince X was surrounded, laser sights covering his body as the Mavericks' weapons aimed at him.

"Remember, Slash Beast wants this one alive..." one of the soldiers cocked hs shotgun weapon, its robotic eyes narrowing behind the red face shield on its helmet. "Shoot to stun unless directed otherwise!"

As the prince prepared himself for the worst, a crash echoed from the building behind him and the Gustave lumbered out of the wreckage, its large arms swinging like some sort of giant beast! The mavericks around X dissipated its formation and attempted to bring the mecha down with their weaponry, but most of the shots bounced off its armor and only ended up in the Gustave locking on to their location and swatting them away like flies. Screams of terror and surprise echoed throughout the small army of Mavericks as a majority of them flew through the air like ragdolls before crashing into the ground or into anything around them.

X aimed his blaster at the Gustave in a defensive reflex , thinking Tron bonne had come to get the reward for his capture herself...but his eyes widened when he saw who was actually driving.

"Rock, up here!" Roll's voice yelled as the top covering of the driver's helm opened, revealing another empty seat next to her. Quickly, X jumped onto the body of the Gustave and ledge jumped up the frame, grabbing a piece of the helm and pulling himself inside. Once he was safely secured, Roll punched a few buttons and hit a large button labeled "engage".

"Hold on..."

In only a few seconds, the Gustave's lower half completely transformed from a walking mecha into one with hovering capabilities. And soon, the Mavericks were long gone as Roll flew the machine away from the battle and off to safety.

**((Author's notes:**

***Amelia (**_**Megaman Legends/64**_**): T****he mayor of the city on Kattelox Island in the **_**Megaman 64/Legends**_** series; as the mayor, she can issue licenses to anyone who wishes to enter the ruins on the island. She is a professor of ancient civilizations like Roll's grandfather, Barrell Caskett, and was his assistant while she was in school. She asks Megaman Volnutt to investigate why the Reaverbots on the island have been acting up.**** In the game, her english voice actor is Susan Roman (the actress of Sailor Jupiter) and actually is the voice of **_**Megaman in Legends 2**_**.**

****Tiesel Bonne (**_**Megaman Legends/64**_**): T****he oldest son of the three siblings and leader of the Bonne family of air pirates, Tiesel is in mostly in charge of their battle tactics. He cares deeply for Tron and Bon Bonne (the youngest) and holds a grudge and rivalry towards Megaman Volnutt for continuously beating him and his family. He is extreme in his emotions, either being very angry, tearing up and crying, or being extremely excited and has a very individual laugh he often uses whenever he is excited, which is high pitched and slightly insane in nature. Despite his somewhat rough personality and tough appearance, Teisel is actually an intellectual person and a great strategist that takes his responsibilities seriously. He creates all sorts of detailed battle plans and schemes that aim to the family's goals while while keeping all of them out of serious danger. After a mission, he holds a review meeting to assert their strengths and weaknesses to improve, avoiding making the same mistake twice. His skills also include the ability to pilot combat mechas like the Gustaff, Marlwolf, and the Blitzkrieg. On the side, he loves reading books (his room in the Gesellschaft is filled with them, which vary from business principles to manga) as well as having an interest in anime and toys...hobbies that help him cope with the sadness of his parents' death.**

_*****Servbots (Megaman Legends/64 and The Misadventures of Tron Bonne): **__**The Servbots are 41 small all-purpose support robots created by Tron Bonne, each with its own distinct personality and talent (the 41**__**st**__** Servbot's origins however are a mystery to Tron, as only 40 were created by her). They are henchmen loyal to the Bonne family and are the crew onboard the Gesellschaft. They work in several tasks like piloting the Gesellschaft and fighting machines used in missions, cleaning, cooking, helping Tron build and repair things, among other duties in their schedule. On a side note, their cute appearance is useful in avoiding suspicion. The Servbots have child-like personalities and love Tron as a mother, but often get in trouble for their mistakes, and she punishes them severely when they goof off. They are also somewhat cowardly, timid, and unreliable, but they are also steadfast and hard-working, always trying their best to the Bonne family. Due to their small size, they aren't very strong physically, but have great endurance, being able to survive several dangers like flames, spikes, and large explosions, but they aren't indestructible. Although they are robots, the Servbots have olfaction and taste, and most of them are good at cooking. **_

******Tron Bonne (and the Gustave) **: **A main antagonist/anti-heroine from Megaman Legends/64 and her own stand alone game The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Tron**** is the only daughter of the Bonne Family. She may only be 14 years old, but she is a genius mechanic that handles the design and construction of the Bonne's machines, including their airship, the Geesellschaft****.**** She is also an able pilot, usually the one piloting fighting machines like the Gustaff, Jagd Krabbe, and the Feldynaught and was also the creator of the Servbots, whom she considers as her children (even though she treats and punishes them harshly). Tron is a very stubborn, fiesty, self-confident and determined individual, mocking her opponents wether she is winning or losing. In the series, she seems to develop a crush on Megaman Volnutt...but because of how inexperienced she is with love, she doesn't understad her feelings and goes to great lengths to try and convince him to join her even though they are enemies (which makes a rival out of Roll Caskett in both mechanic skills and as a love interest for Megaman Volnutt). In other media, Tron has been in crossovers such as Marvel vs Capcom and Project x Zone as well as making cameos in other Capcom games. She also was a character in the online game, Onimusha: Soul. **

*******Denise Marmalade (**_**The Misadventures of Tron Bonne**_**):**** A**** rookie cop that works for the Ryship Island Police Force, she appears to be heavily inept at her job and often belittles herself on how poorly she does as a cop. She usually works at a desk, filing endless mounds of paperwork and fearing her next dressing-down from her captain. When Tron Bonne and her Servbots first attempt to rob the Ryship Island Bank, Denise is the last police officer to respond to the call because she awakened late, fighting against Tron alone and without success in arresting her. This leads to two more encounters...with the same result in failing to apprehend her. However at the end of the game, (after being severely punished by her captain for failing to arrest Tron three times and having an extremely expensive mech destroyed), luck smiles on Denise after Tron leaves the tied-up Lex Loath and Glyde (the villains of the game) at the police station, leading the captain to think that Denise captured****them all on her own and decides to keep her on the force. Denise also appeared as a weather forecaster in the comic **_**Megaman Megamix.**_

********Slash Beast (**_**Megaman X 4**_**): A**** lion-based member of Repliforce, he enlisted only to freely exercise his combat abilities. But despite this attitude he showed dauntless courage in battle, fearing no one. During the coup, Slash Beast was put in charge of guarding Repliforce's military supply train. It is interesting to also note that he may be a tribute to **_**Street Fighter**_**'s Guile and Charlie, as he shares a "flip kick" that closely resembled the "Flash Kick" ability and also from his inclusion in the military (also noted...he is one of my favorite Megaman Bosses!). )))**


	9. Chapter 8

**((Hey everyone! sorry this chapter took so long to make, I havent had as much free time as I used to and my internet has also been kind of screwy. Big thanks to everyone who has gotten me off my butt and reminded me about the chapter! Hugs and rootbeer for all of you! LAWLZ))**

Meanwhile, a few hours later in the castle...

A lone Maverick strode through several corridors and hallways of the castle before finally stopping in front of a rather large door, knocking quickly and only entering once the voice from within had given him permission. The room it entered was rather tidy and spacious, with a large desk near the opposite wall and a state of the art sleeping pod on the left hand wall upon entering. A warm light seemed to illuminate the room from the large window on the right wall, and standing near it with his arms behind his back was none other than Captain Sigma, his gaze piercing out at the village which laid outside.

"Sorry to disturb you sir, but Chill Penguin* wishes an audience with you."

Sigma waved his hand and the soldier bowed before leaving, his position in the room soon replaced with a portly penguin Reploid as it quickly waddled into the room. On its back was what looked like some sort of reddish orange rocket with a tube going into his "skull" as if it were some sort of spine.

"Captain! I have...urgent news!" Chill Penguin huffed, trying to catch his breath before he continued what he had to say.

"Would this pray chance have anything to do with why one of my top Mavericks has not reported in yet?"

Chill Penguin nodded, "Earlier today, as you know, Slash Beast went out on patrol around the Main Square sector. While he was making his final round of the shift, apparently his group encountered some... resistance..."

The pause in Chill Penguin's report made Sigma's eyes narrow and he turned in his direction slowly, "What do you mean by resistance?"

At that moment, Chill Penguin felt an excessive need to twiddle his thumbs nervously. "I-I couldn't tell you personally, sire..."

If looks could stop a Reploid's life cycle, then the look on Sigma's face would have made the penguin lose a few years. Quickly reconsidering what he said, Chill Penguin backtracked, "B-b-but I have a credible witness who was at the scene of this uprising! Shall I bring her in?"

Captain Sigma growled a reply and Chill Penguin squawked before running out the door as fast as his little feet could take him and a few minutes later returned with his witness, once again shutting and locked the door behind them for security and privacy.

"Sire, I bring to you a member of the Bonne family. While on patrol, this one said she encountered the leader of this quarrel himself!"

Tron gulped nervously before bowing, trying to avert her eyes away from the hulking Reploid who sat behind the large desk in front of her.

"I-It's an honor, sir."

"Forget formalities Miss Bonne and please tell me what happened in the best description you can," Sigma's face looked concerned...however Tron was beginning to suspect something more sinister under that smile he had.

"W-Well my patrol started out as it usually does; my brother Tiesel organized who would go where and which Servbots to-"

"Cut to the chase, Bonne, Captain Sigma doesn't have all day!" Chill Penguin huffed as his foot tapped impatiently.

As Tron was about to reply, Sigma raised his hand to stop whatever outburst the young girl may make before glaring at his loyal follower. "Show the woman some respect Or would you rather I demote you and have you patrol a dungeon cell?"

Chill Penguin considered his Captain's response and held his tongue, sitting down on a chair and not saying another word.

"Please continue, Tron. But remember, as Chill Penguin said, I am a busy Reploid and it would be most beneficial to all of us if you skipped to the actual event that unfolded."

The young woman took a breath before nodding, "Right...well I was just about to finish my patrol when a Reploid literally stood in front of my Gustave and threatened me to cease what I was doing! The guy was...probably around my age, blue and cyan armor...kinda cute.."

A twitch to Sigma's eyebrow made Tron Bonne realize what she was saying and she tried to quickly regain her composure, "A-Anyways, so I was trying to make the punk move outta the way when all of a sudden he..."

Tron chuckled and shook her head, "I know this is going to sound crazy, but he acted like a nobleman... and he even had the royal ring!"

For what seemed like forever, silence filled the room. However, it was soon broken by Chill Penguin's hearty laughter.

"From the description of the so called "nobleman" you encountered, that would mean that the one responsible would have been none other than the royal prince. But that is a ridiculous suggestion since I have proof that he has been here in the castle the entire day!"

"I know what I saw and I stand by it!" Tron growled a she stomped one of her feet in frustration at the portly Maverick. "I'm not an idiot, Penguin; everyone knows that there is only one Reploid in Abel City with a color scheme like that! My family has worked for the royal family for years and we wouldn't forget a Reploid that had a similar color scheme like a member of the royal family!"

By this point, Chill Penguin and Tron were now almost eye to eye, staring each other down with snarls on their faces.

"That's quite enough from the two of you!" Sigma's lip curled in annoyance as he pierced the two's eyes with his own gaze, almost looking like he would sooner or later intervene if they pushed his patience too far. However, the captain simply took a breath and smiled slightly.

"Thank you for the report, Miss Bonne. Expect a small reward for you and your family for alerting myself and my fellow guards to this matter. Please watch your step on the way out and enjoy the rest of your day."

Without another word, Tron nodded and walked out the door, only stopping to quickly make a face at chill Penguin before the door closed behind her.

"That girl is definitely a Bonne," Chill Penguin grunted, "So much ego stuffed up her ass that she is blind to see it!"

He looked to Sigma for a reply but was surprised to see that the captain had walked back to the window, clearly lost in thought.

"Um...sir? Is everything alright?"

"The ring..." Captain Sigma stroked his chin, a frown on his face.

"I wouldn't worry about something like that, sire. You know everyone on the black market tries to make phoney royal rings all the time! And the blue and cyan armor could have been a costume or something! Honestly I don't know why you would waste your thoughts on such a trivial thing like this."

"I am a fool..."

Chill Penguin blinked, a bit confused by his captain calling himself a fool. Out of everyone on the royal guards and even compared to Repliforce, Sigma was one of the most cunning and intelligent Reploids ever made.

"The answer to this question is quite simple now that I have had time to ponder it: At first I was thinking, how in the world could someone who looks like the prince be able to pull something like this off? But the more I think about it, the more I am suspecting that the culprit was indeed Prince X."

"B-But that's impossible! How could the Prince be out there when everyone has seen him inside the palace? And how did he get out in the first place?"

"The last is easy," Sigma smirked slightly as if he was a bit humored by all this, "I threw him out earlier today."

The look on Chill Penguin's face could only be described as total shock and disbelief, mixed with a twinge of surprise and dread. "You...you threw out the prince?!"

Sigma turned to his subordinate, "Earlier today, I found a pauper and his dog causing a ruckus on the palace grounds. Thinking back...the boy had almost the same identical color scheme as the prince did..."

"So then...the Reploid you found..."

"Either stole the ring from a member of the royal family and is now posing as the prince, or he somehow was able convince the prince into switching places with him. The second option seems the most logical as they both are almost identical in appearance, making the switch easy to get away with."

"Um sir, if I may be so bold..." Chill Penguin gulped slightly, "What about the plan? Is this setback going to put a halt on things for a while?"

"On the contrary, dear Chill Penguin," Sigma's eyes seemed to narrow to slits and his smile turned almost psychotic. "This may be the strategic edge we have been looking for; every member of Repliforce and the royal family will be mere pawns from this point onward!"

The smile made the penguin Reploid shiver from fear, "That reminds me, our prisoner is awake again...should I send Spark Mandrill** or one of the others to sedate him or...?"

A frown plastered on Sigma's face, "Leave that worm to rust in the dungeon; he wouldn't cause trouble for us in his current state. And if he did, he couldn't get far by crawling without his legs. By the rate he has been progressing, he will power down in a few days."

"As you wish," Chill Penguin bowed and waddled out of the room, closing the door behind him on the way out.

For a few seconds, Sigma contemplated something before he walked to the wall where his sleeping pod was stationed and touched a particular section of it gently. His hand sunk into the wall and soon the wall vanished, revealing a secret passageway. Slowly making his way down a few flights of stairs, the captain finally pushed another wall and entered the dark, dismal dungeons of the castle.

Walking past numerous cells, he stopped by a heavily armored one and peered inside before punching a special code into the lock. The occupant inside of the cell wasn't paying much attention to him, but Sigma knew that the prisoner knew of his presence.

**((Author's Notes: **

*_**Chill Penguin (Mega Man X)**_**: A****Reploid specifically designed for extremely cold regions, formerly of the 13th Polar Battalion. Had been operating on a wholly unsatisfying mission at the South Pole, but once he heard Sigma's call, Chill Penguin started operating with the 17th Battalion. His thought circuits are designed to be flexible so he can perform missions with his small-size body, but this has gained him a reputation among other Reploids of being somewhat warped. He's on bad terms with Flame Mammoth, who relies solely on brute strength. On a side note, he seems to have a jealousy to X, implied as one of his reasons for joining the rebellion.**

_****Spark Mandrill (Mega Man X)**_: **A Reploid who is designed to look like a mandrill, he p****ossesses immense strength and a powerful electrical shock attack...however, he doesn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed. He has obediently followed Sigma, his superior, into the rebellion and attacked the city's electrical ****power****stations, bringing the city to a halt. Spark Mandrill wreaks whatever damage he feels like, and leaves it to his subordinates to clean up the mess.**


End file.
